According to Statista, there’s 284 million monthly active users now on Twitter. If this isn’t reason enough to start representing your brand across one of the biggest social media channels, recent developments should certainly have you signing up.

Tweets & Search

In an attempt to expand their reach, Twitter has struck a deal with Google that will make tweets visible in search results.

Set to launch later in the year, your tweets could feature prominently on Google’s organic search results or news pages. Subsequently, this means your communications have the potential to be seen by both followers and prospective new audiences.

The impact

The development is likely to have a huge impact on your brand, both positively and negatively. On a lighter note, the changes can help your tweets reach more people and disseminate your message further. Once in place, your brand may experience increased user interaction and gain more followers on the platform.

However, not all exposure is good. Things don’t always go accordingly on Twitter, as our previous blog post shows. From questionable hashtags to downright carelessness, brands make social media faux pas on a daily basis.

At present, these errors are typically rectified through the removal of the offense-causing tweet and the posting of a swift apology. However, if the tweet is included in Google’s results pages, the embarrassment can become much more widespread. As such, the risk posed to brands becomes greater, making it even more important to closely monitor your brand’s reputation online.

Knowledge Graphs are getting social

You’ve probably seen the Google Knowledge Graphs before. They appear at the right-hand side of the SERPs when you search for a brand, personality or location.

A Google Knowledge Graph for actor, Leonardo DiCaprio

Previously, social media links were only shown when searching for a famous personality, as you can see above. However, Google now shows the social media icons when a brand search is performed.

A Google Knowledge Graph for the brand, Starbucks.

So, what does this mean for brands? In short, it means more exposure for your social media accounts. Rather than being hidden further down the SERPs, your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Google+ accounts are easily accessible, improving the reach of your social presence. As such, it’s vital you manage their content effectively.

Wish you were here

The social media giant has also unveiled a ‘while you were away’ feature. Available for iOS app users, the function displays the top tweets missed during any inactivity.

It’s always important to time your tweets correctly in order to effectively target your audience. However, the change does provide some flexibility for brands. Users could potentially see your tweet long after you post it.

International reach

Does your brand reach an international audience? Using language tools from Microsoft Bing, Twitter can translate your tweets into 40 different languages. Users simply click a globe icon that accompanies your posts.

This can be incredibly useful for a brand looking to expand into an international market, eliminating the need for multiple, country-specific Twitter accounts.

What are you waiting for?

As you can see, Twitter is incredibly accessible for brands. To ensure you’re making the most out of your brand’s account, take a look at our comprehensive guide.

Need further help managing your brand’s reputation online? Contact the team today and find out how we can help.